An abundance has been written in the press recently concerning the bingo industry being hit as a consequence of the anti cigarette law in England. Things have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for massive aid to assist in keeping the industry afloat. However can the net adaptation of this traditional game present a reprieve, or might it never compare to its bricks and mortar opposite?

Bingo is an familiar game normally played by the "blue haired" generation. For all that the game of late had witnessed a recent increase in appeal with younger men and women opting to visit the bingo halls instead of the discos on a weekend. All this is about to get flipped on its head with the introduction of the smoking ban across United Kingdom.

Players will no longer be able to puff on cigarettes at the same time dabbing numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 all public places will not be allowed to permit smoking in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlours, which are possibly the most favorite locations where many people enjoy smoking.

The outcome of the anti smoking law can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already prohibited in the bingo parlors. Numbers have dropped and the industry is literally fighting for its life. But where have all the players gone? Surely they haven’t given up on this familiar game?

The answer is online. Players realize that they can participate in bingo using their computer while enjoying a beer and cigarette and in the end, have a chance at big jackpots. This is a recent development and has timed itself almost perfectly with the ban on smoking.

Of course playing online is unlikely to replace the collective portion of going over to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of people the governing edicts have left many bingo enthusiasts with little option.